Where Do You Run?

I saw this video today on Desiring God....it is powerful!

http://www.desiringgod.org/run

I love the analogy of the Word of God being not just a picture on a wall, but a window that passes through the wall to another world where you can see what God is up to and enter in.

In His Love,

We Don't Have To Travel Far To Find Our Mission

Wow!  I was running errands with the girls and taking Karly to gymnastics class and I had the opportunity to see a lady who was having a really tough day a couple days ago.  I wanted to follow up with her because I was concerned about her situation and had been praying for peace for her in the midst of her struggle.  She said she was doing a lot better and I was so thankful for that....as the brief conversation was coming to a close she said, "I think I am going to come to your church on Sunday"....she does not have one that she frequents and she said, "I've been thinking I really need to get back to church...I even talked to my kids about it"...I know this may sound bad from a pastor's wife, but I hadn't even invited her to my church.....not that I didn't want to, but I am overly sensitive I guess to making sure people know I am supporting them and that it's about what Jesus wants for them and not as much about getting them to my church...I am sure there are a lot of opinions on that, but I have learned over time that God will probably make the opportunity to invite someone to church if I show them I care....they may even just decide on their own or ask me about my church once they know I am a Christian and they trust me.  Anyway, that was so cool today....I had a happy cry on the way home!

Then, the girls made dinner :)  We had a fancy tea party for this day of STAYCATION.

Here's a new song I love by Need To Breathe.....

Brother

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61Wm_qlVD4Q

Today just reinforced to me how important it is to be there for people and to follow through in prayer and follow up in love.  God does the important work in the heart, but we have such a wonderful opportunity to be used.  There probably aren't many other circumstances in life where we can say....

"I feel used.....and it's awesome!"

Later Tater

Did you ever sign your notes with that at the end?  I did it all the time :)  I have no idea if Brad is looking at any of my blogs while he is away or if he even can see them, but this is dedicated to him!

The other night I was making a tater tot casserole that the girls love...so I had to bake the tots before I added all this other yummy stuff on top.  After 20 minutes of baking them, I went to pull them out of the oven and didn't grab the pan tight enough with the oven mitt and the pan completely flipped upside down and onto the floor....tater tots everywhere and not one whole one left in the pan!  Kooper loved it and the girls just looked at me with their mouths hanging open :O ...So, we got creative with the rest of the ingredients and made up a new recipe.  They felt like chefs!

Interrupting Owl...

Today's STAYCATION ADVENTURE included tennis....which was really me chasing a bunch of tennis balls everywhere while the girls learn to aim their shots :)  It's a good workout, though! ....that's really what I am after at this phase in my life....play times with the girls that are also good workouts....it's a win....win!

Then, after they wore me out....they really wanted to stop at this little park by the tennis courts where I used to take them when they were really little because they have this tadpole pond.....wouldn't you know they covered the pond over with cement....made me think of the song lyrics "pave paradise and put up a parking lot"....oh well....the girls still had fun playing!

They love this teeter totter :)  We always have to use it as a scale...you know what I mean, right?  We have to all sit on it and change positions until we have it balanced :)

Then it was time for.....(insert angelic AHHHHHHHHHHH!)

FROSTY BOY

....and I love, love, love the rays of sunlight.....ha!  I didn't even have to edit the pic to get that effect!

See the little boy at the end of our table?  He was really supposed to be with his group at a table behind us, but he wanted to join our party.....his mom finally just let him sit with us and we made up a bunch of interrupting knock knock jokes using all kinds of animals.

My personal favorite was the interrupting owl....because, well, I didn't see the punchline coming at me the way it did...I was ready for the girls to interrupt me, but....well, try it!

No matter HOO you are.....I think you'll like it.

Marshmallow Sundae

Caramel Sundae

Blueberry Sundae.....Overall Greatdae!

Another Satisfied Customer

I knew the kids would not have their electronic devices when they went to Wayumi, but I assumed I would still be able to communicate with Brad because he was able to keep his phone for the duration of their stay at the camp this week.  I was in for a rude awakening on the first day he was away...I was texting and leaving him messages throughout the day to see if they arrived safely and he wasn't returning any messages....I finally texted..."Are you mad at me or something?!" You know when it gets to that point and you start to have a complex...ha!  I texted at the end of the first day..."well, I don't know if I will hear from you today so goodnight" and "love you" with these lip emoticon things....then, I got a text back from him with two weird looking question marks in triangles and a face that looked like the eyes had been plucked out saying, "I couldn't find lips"....haha!  He was trying to send me smiley faces, but they didn't arrive to me that way.   Well, he is in a location in Pennsylvania that has very little if any cell phone reception....so he couldn't get through to me even though he was receiving my messages.

I have been able to get a couple emails from him with some pictures he is taking there, but then today...my work email is down so I can't even get emails from outside my workplace right now...hahaha!  CRAZY!

 

The reception issues have been frustrating because there have been a couple important things this week that I really have wanted to talk with him about, but it has brought me to a better appreciation of a lot of things....one being the way we can have an open communication with GOD all the time and He truly understands us!

Isaiah 65:24 says, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."

Isn't that satisfying!?